Studio Ghibli will be awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, held in May in France. This marks the first time the award has been bestowed upon a group, as announced on the festival's official website by April 18.

The site notes that the award is in recognition of the Japanese studio's ability to "stand shoulder to shoulder with great Hollywood figures" thanks to "the superb storytelling of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and a host of cult characters," and that it has "continued to bring fresh perspectives to the animation film industry for over 40 years."

Toshio Suzuki, President of Studio Ghibli, expressed his gratitude, saying, "It is truly an honor for the studio to receive the Honorary Palme d'Or, and it fills me with joy. Although Miyazaki and I are getting on in years, I am confident that Studio Ghibli will continue to take on new challenges under a team that carries forward our spirit."

Iris Knobloch, the President of the Cannes Film Festival, and Thierry Frémaux, the General Delegate, added, "For the first time in the history of the Cannes Film Festival, we wish to honor not an individual but an organization."